


Red Reaper

by creator_p



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 03:19:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10711083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creator_p/pseuds/creator_p
Summary: You know how things can be complexly bittersweet? From one perspective, something may seem... easy. Then, you look from the bottom, you see, well, so many knots and tangles, so many flaws. For example, a woman falls in love with a man, and they have a little budding relationship, and then something happens in the woman's life, and she has to leave him with no explanation whatsoever... and then, people start to get involved, and it gets complicated. That's the story of the Red Reaper, however that description was very vague, and whether you choose to read it or not is your choice.





	Red Reaper

I don't know how Grell got pregnant and to be honest I don't want to know. I don't know who the father is, either. It just happened one day with no warning.

Right now, she's sat across from me curled up in a blanket. She's asleep, so she won't see anything strange if I'm writing in a diary. I just have to get all of this off my chest. I'm not my normal self, I'm stressed, more than usual. I have all her work and my normal amount of overtime to work off, and to make matters worse there's nobody else to bloody look after her.

It all started when she asked if she could have a baby. I instinctively said no to her, as she was ill and would probably use the opportunity to procreate with that demon. She pouted and I stuck by what I said, although we both didn't know she already was pregnant.

She started to have morning sickness the day after, and I got angry at her only to realise that she must've gotten pregnant about a month ago. I sighed, and instead of yelling at her, I held her hair back. I couldn't stomach the fact that I'd be getting more overtime because she'd be washing sick out of her hair.

I made her go to work anyway, because she was still in a fit condition to go to work. She'd have to take time off soon, anyway. I didn't want to have any more work to do than I already would have to when she took her maternity leave.

Better yet, just make her go to work.

But after a while I realised she was getting too frail and would snap into pieces if somebody hurt her, as most Shinigami do suffer a blow or two every few nights. That and, my higher ups had ordered me to keep her off work, or it'd be rather cruel.

I didn't care. I could just assign her work to Ronald or something, but my higher ups said he was too young for that sort of responsibility. I had to do her work instead, although I often brought her work to do as I just couldn't be bothered.

And that brings us to now. She's seven months along, and I still don't want her to have a child. Mostly because we have to live together and it'll cry in the middle of the night, and wake me up. But if she'll care for it as well as she's promised to, then everything should be fine. I have to put my pen down as she's started to wake up.

William looked at the sleeping reaper sat across from him, and stroked her hair. He looked at the clock and picked her up, put her to bed, locked the door and went to work.

When he got back, she was in so much pain she'd fainted on the floor. He had to carry her to the hospital where she woke up, crying.

"Oh, Willy!"

"Why did you faint, Sutcliff?"

"I couldn't help it! Oh, it hurt so much!"

A strange liquid seeped out from her underneath and she yelped out in pain. William had to call for a nurse, immediately. He knew exactly what was going on, and he didn't bloody like it.

He patted her head and left the room, otherwise that would be indecent. He just left her there, on her own. The doll of Sebastian that she clutched in her hand could only comfort her so much.

She sensed Will nearby, but he was walking in a completely different direction. Away from her. Home. Where he would no longer cared about her, for she knew she was about to die.

A Shinigami's birth will kill the mother. There has never been a case where she survives.

She just wanted to hold Sebastian's hand one last time. She wanted to see his face as he held his baby. But he didn't even know that she'd been carrying his child. He didn't even know she was pregnant. He didn't care, either.

A soft moan came out of her mouth for him. That was all she wanted at this very moment, Sebastian. The man she loved so much she'd die for him. She'd die to love him.

A nurse came in, with a clipboard.

"So, what would you like to name your child?"

"I-I hadn't really thought of a name."

"Well, please come up with one as fast as you can."

She paused for a moment and thought.

"William. I want to name my baby William. Well, if they're a boy. If they're a girl... Angelina."

"And who will look after your child after you have... Passed?" She asked, knowing death was a sensitive topic for her right now.

She thought again. Sebastian needed to know of the child's existence, did he not? Would he even look after her baby? No. He had to. He had to have loved her just a bit to have dated her for a while. And she stopped seeing him when she was pregnant, because she was afraid he'd leave her.

"Send my baby to the Phantomhive Manor."

The nurse gave her a sympathetic nod and left. Grell started crying again, and put her hand on her belly. She had twelve hours. Twelve hours until she died, that she'd spend alone, in pain.

She took a piece of paper and a pen, and started writing. She'd have to be honest to him. She was about to die, of course.

By the time she had finished the letter, she had to start pushing. So she pushed. She had to do it as fast as possible. She had to get to the Phantomhive Manor to ensure her baby's safety.

She screamed, and screamed. Until she first held the child; a little boy in her arms. She felt relieved, and then another strong contraction ripped her in two.

There was a second baby.

So she went through the same process, and a little girl was born. Her little Angelina. She took the letter, folded it in half, took her coat and the children and ran through the cold winter's night with the very last of her energy.

She reached the Phantomhive Manor, lay the children down on the doorstop with the letter, rung the doorbell and collapsed to the floor. But she wasn't dead yet. Almost dead. But she still had a bit in her.

Sebastian opened the door and saw her body slumped in the snow. He picked up the letter, and read it.

Dear Sebastian,

I stopped seeing you because I was pregnant. With your child. I was ever so scared you'd leave me, as I loved you so much. I also left because I was scared, I didn't want you to get any more attached to me as you already were. It'd just hurt you more.

By the time you will have read this, I will be dead. The only remainder of me will be my child, and my dead body.

You've heard the legend of the dying Shinigami, right? I can tell you it's true. I will be dead from giving birth to the child. I will not survive.

I need you to look after them for me. Please. Make sure they are never hurt. You're my only hope, because I know you'll do it. You did love me at one point. You really did. I could see it in your eyes.

I love you,

Grell.

"Grell... Are you still alive?"

"Y...e...s..." She could barely speak.

"You lied."

"I didn't... Expect you... To come that quickly... In fact... I didn't... Expect you... To come at... All..."

"Heh. I will look after our children. I promise you."

She smiled.

"Their names are... Angelina... And... William..."

He held her close, and let his feelings out. Well, not really. He was a superior theatre man to her, and he could pretend well. He felt sorry for her, so he may as well have obeyed her dying wishes. He felt a strange form of regret, or it could perhaps even be seen as guilt, which was so strange. Perhaps it was because she and her once frequent annoying 'visits' had become a part of his life, and he had become used to him, even enjoyed her company somewhat. Whatever the reason was, it needed to be done.

"Please don't die. I... Feel very deeply for you." Even saying the fake words were difficult for him. He didn't like lying.

"You... You love me?"

"You could say that."

He pulled her into a kiss. They held their children together, for the first and last time. This was the only thing he could give her for all she'd done, and to Grell it was everything.

"I love you."

"I... I.. Love... You... Too."

She closed her eyes and he cried.

"No! You can't do this to me, Grell!"

She was already dead. She couldn't answer. Her cinematic record started playing.

A few days after, her body, that would never decay was buried. Little Angelina wore her necklace.

A week or so later Ciel found out about the babies. Sebastian had tried to keep the children from crying, but they wanted their dead mother to hold them.

But nobody came.

So, Sebastian held them instead. The newborn Shinigami didn't protest, but they cried the minute they left his arms. Ciel called for him, which was obviously problematic. He wrapped them in Grell's coat, which satisfied them for a while. He rushed to his pesky master and took his orders.

"There's a woman's ghost in this house."

"What?"

"Yes. She slips into your room at night. I followed her yesterday. What is she doing?"

"I was not aware of her presence. I am sorry, but I do not know what she is doing."

"Find out for me. That is an order."

"Do you wish for her to stay?"

"Yes. As long as she harms nobody here. I see no reason for a ghost that is obviously here for a reason to be evicted."

"Of course, my lord." He bowed down. He thought he knew who she was.

Grell.

He sat on his bed that night and the door creaked open, the ghost of a woman creeping in, towards the basket in the corner. She gently stroked Angelina's cheek, and kissed William on his forehead.

Soft 'ah's came from the ghost's lips. She was speaking to her babies.

The figure in white took his hand and kissed it. The same thing was said to him. Not fluent in ghost language, he shrugged it off.

The children in the corner fell asleep. It had been Grell, she'd come to make them sleep. Sebastian, too. She tucked him in, and faded away, but he could feel her presence nearby. Next to him. Making him feel better.

Ciel walked in. He saw the tiny infants sleeping soundly in the corner, and the ghost caressing his sleeping butler. She sat up, and waled towards Ciel, enveloping her arms around him. He felt a level of comfort he hadn't felt since his own mother last put her arms around him. The soothing sensation made the boy cry, to which the reaper's ghost wiped away his tears.

She then left the room. Ciel followed her wherever she walked, and she was there. He wished for her to comfort him again, the lovely feeling had almost become a rarity to him. The ghost became aware that he was standing behind her and turned towards her. He started crying again, and she took his hand and tucked him in to bed, with no idea the woman that killed his once-loved aunt was doing it. She left the room and disappeared into thin air. She would not be returning.

The next morning, he interrogated the butler.

"Why were there children in your room last night?"

"They belong to the ghost. I found them on the door and they were freezing to death."

"Who is the ghost?"

"Grell."

"He's dead? But, the ghost takes the form of a woman. It doesn't make any sense."

"Whether you like it or not, the ghost is Grell. She has two children. It explains why I found her dead at the doorstep with them." He exaggerated the story only slightly in an attempt to protect them. It was her dying wish, after all.

"Get rid of the children." He said coldly. He didn't care for Sebastian's possible feelings.

"They're Shinigami. They will die if left alone."

"And? Do you care?"

"Once, I said to you that killing Grell would create consequences. That is two children that'll die because they have no care."

"Do you really think that those consequences will stop me?"

"It goes against everything. If I am to leave her children to die I shall be punished in hell."

"Then bring 'her' back to life, and make 'her' leave with those god forsaken children!"

"It'll mess with the scheme of life. I can't."

"It's an order!"

"Ciel, she doesn't deserve this! She has worked long and hard and gone through hell to repay for the sin of suicide!"

"I don't care, it's an order!"

He turned away from his bratty master and began to trace Grell down. He found her, a newborn human. Cute. Beautiful red hair and piercing green eyes. The baby chewed on her foot, and Sebastian picked her up from her Moses basket, then kissed her. He poured an ancient curse down her throat, which made her older.

"Oh, Grell, you beautiful thing."

She gasped, because he was a stranger to her, and she was naked. He pressed her close to his body and whispered in her ears.

"Darling," he begun, "You will do my bidding. You will slit your throat."

"I will slit my throat." She whispered.

He gave her a knife, and she slit her throat. Blood spurted everywhere. The body of the girl disappeared, and he could hear her heartbeat begin somewhere else. He ran towards it and saw her born again. As the mother died, and the father fell asleep, he took his darling Grell and situated her on a rooftop. Pouring the vial down her throat she turned into the woman he once knew again.

He put his hand on her head, and returned all memories to her. They kissed, but Grell was separated from the world by a thin veil. She wasn't herself. She was simply a shell of herself, the woman she once had been. Sebastian thought he knew her, but he was wrong. He didn't know her. They simply used to know each other.

"Why have you done this to me?" She seized his hand and wouldn't let go.

"An order from my master, dear. I shall take you home now."

He took her home.

Grell hadn't let go of his hand. She would not. He dressed her in an elegant floor length gown, and he gave her her babies to hold. She didn't let go of his hand.

"Grell, I love you. I truly do."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

They held each other close.

"I love you too. But... But... I'll never forgive him!" She shouted.

Ciel walked in and stared at the redhead.

"Leave. Leave with those children. You aren't allowed to go near me or my butler ever again. You won't even be allowed to go to the manor."

"I will not let go of his hand."

"And what will you accomplish with that? I'll just slice your hand off and kick you out myself."

"I am punishing you for all the sin you've committed!" There was something so odd about her, a coldness in her once warm eyes that wasn't there before.

"What sin? I am a demon. I cannot sin."

"I will punish you for your selfish greed! I slaved away, trying to repay for my sins, and when I finally become human again you force me to kill myself!"

"Stupid woman." He muttered under his breath.

That night, Ciel sneaked into their room whilst they were sleeping with their children. He took the knife and tried to stab Grell through the stomach; but this was fruitless. The knife couldn't penetrate her seemingly soft, tender skin, just like her eyes.

He couldn't cut her hand off, either. No matter what he did, his butler'd be useless until he'd paid Grell back for the wrongdoings he'd done to the poor woman. He thought she was just being a whore. A whore for his butler, paid to pleasure him. But deep down inside, he knew he'd done something wrong. He just refused to acknowledge it.

But whatever he tried, he couldn't shake the awful feeling he'd done something wrong off his cocky conscience. All that made it disappear was to blame her.

Even then, a new, horrid thought would slip onto his heavy burdens knowing it wasn't her fault, either. She didn't know she'd get pregnant. She didn't even know Sebastian had 'loved' her, even one bit.

So he came to another conclusion; it was the butler's fault. He knew he could impregnate her, he knew that he had a lust for her that he couldn't keep down. He could've chosen any number of prostitutes, and Ciel would've been fine with that, but he chose Grell.

A thousand questions raced through his mind, why did he choose her? Why did he not play the game Ciel wanted him to play and stay as far away from the bitch as possible?

Had he just fucked a whore, none of this would've ever happened.

So, he tried to punish his faithful for having a child with an innocent, unsuspecting woman out of wedlock. To him, a silly child, it was all her fault. But it was his. Had he just let their love flourish, none of this would've happened.

Had they not had to spend those months they loved in secret. That, was Ciel's fault. It was that moment he realised this. Sebastian's fault, for choosing to use Grell. And finally, Grell's fault, for even bearing the children in the first place.

The child. The children were responsible. For being born. For ending the world.

He shoved the knife through both babies' throats. They fell dead.

The next morning, Grell discovered her dead children. Her babies, the babies she'd been tortured for nine months to give birth to. Dead.

They weren't playing. Sometimes, Shinigami children do play dead. Stop breathing, and sometimes their heart even stops beating.

But they wake up when their mother's crying. They hear she's in pain. They stop. They wake up, and giggle at their silly, high pitched mothers.

She started screaming. Sebastian woke up and tried to comfort her. The walls started crumbling apart, and the ceiling fell on Ciel. The entire world started shaking. He'd killed a Shinigami child. He'd killed two.

The world started ending.

"Darling, calm down."

"He killed my children! He killed my children!" She screamed.

William stood up. He knew he shouldn't've left. He knew he should've stayed with Grell. Kept her children away from Sebastian and Ciel.

All that was left after an hour was Phantomhive manor, covered in piles of dust and ashes.

Grell eventually stopped screaming and went into a deep sob.

"Oh, Sebastian, I truly am sorry for doing this! We'll die together."

"Only a few minutes now." He took his watch out of his pocket.

"Just hold me. Hold me tight and never let go. Please, never do."

"I'll never let go. I promise."


End file.
